Various shoulder injuries may result from dislocations, falling, throwing, or lifting. A common shoulder injury includes the separation of the glenoid labrum from the glenoid. For example, a Bankart lesion results from a labral tear that occurs in the anterioinferior region of the glenoid socket when the shoulder dislocates. A superior labral anterior posterior (SLAP) lesion typically occurs from throwing injuries, where the tear occurs at the superior region of the glenoid socket where the biceps tendon attaches to the shoulder. These injuries result in pain and instability of the shoulder joints.
Arthroscopic stabilization for surgical treatment of shoulder instability has grown in popularity over the past decade. In particular, labral anchors have been employed to repair torn labram tissue. For example, a labral anchor may be inserted into the glenoid, and a suture material that is attached to the labral anchor is used to reattach the torn labral tissue to the glenoid.